Aaron Bunch Journalist with Australian Associated Press | Collection of published work | + 61 484 008 119 | abunch@aap.com.au
Murder-accused cop trial jury to resume
The jury at policeman Zachary Rolfe’s murder trial in the Northern Territory is set to resume deliberating on Friday morning.
March 11, 2022
The jury at a Northern Territory policeman’s murder trial over the shooting of an Aboriginal teenager is set to resume deliberating.
Constable Zachary Rolfe, 30, pleaded not guilty to murdering Kumanjayi Walker after the teen stabbed him with a pair of scissors on November 9, 2019.
He also denied the two alternative charges of manslaughter and violent act causing death.
The jury retired about midday on Thursday and deliberated through the afternoon before breaking late in the day. It will resume at 9.30am on Friday.
Rolfe fired three shots into the 19-year-old’s back and torso as the teen resisted arrest in Yuendumu, 290km northwest of Alice Springs.
The Crown has conceded the first shot, fired while Mr Walker was standing and wrestling with Sergeant Adam Eberl was justified.
But it says the second and third shots, which are the subject of the murder charge, went “too far”.
The four-and-a-half week trial has heard evidence from about 40 witnesses.
Jurors have also repeatedly been shown police body-worn camera footage of the shooting.
It shows Mr Walker lie about his identity before Rolfe and Sgt Eberl, then a constable, attempt to handcuff him as a scuffle breaks out.
The teen then stabs Rolfe in his shoulder with a pair of scissors before the constable fires one shot into his back.
He fires the next two shots in quick succession 2.6 seconds later.
Mr Walker died about an hour after the second shot ripped through his spleen, lung, liver and a kidney.